Spider-Man Divergence Trilogy Part 1 Heroes for Hire
by Scramjet
Summary: After a personal tragedy Spider-Man turns mercenary. Will he do the responsible thing?


Divergence Trilogy

Part 1 Heroes for Hire

Introduction

In this series we learn just how much tiny changes could have affected the outcome of the Marvel Universe (such as Venom first appearing a month earlier) Divergence is a trilogy but not a normal one the first part is universal but at the end Spider-Man is presented a choice resulting in the story further diverging (there are 3 different part 2's) another choice at the end of part 2's (so there are 6 different part 3's) it will prove an interesting tale/tales

An Invitation

Peter Parker was not in a particularly good mood that morning but that was kind of understandable when you had recently been buried alive as he had been during Kraven's Last Hunt. There was another reason however he had been two weeks away from his wedding to Mary Jane Watson when Venom appeared for the first time while he was away and scared her half to death. The ensuing battle was fierce but when it became clear that the church was not a good choice for a battle he got away.

Naturally Peter changed his address and frequently visited his Aunt. he had continued his studies and was doing better returning to the old red and blue outfit but MJ had broken up with him. "I might have all of this responsibility" Peter thought "but I didn't ask for it. Is being Spider-Man really worth the toll it has taken on my life."

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a war zone on his street. Reluctantly Peter changed a discreet distance from his apartment then swung as fast as he could to the scene. It appeared that the Juggernaut had returned Spider-Man had stopped the unstoppable force several months ago saving the life of Madame Web he was not looking forward to a rematch. Spider-Man followed him at a respectable distance. The Juggernaut plowed through some police cars and Spider-Man managed to web them in midair the cops were thoroughly nauseas but unharmed. Juggernaut stopped near the entrance of a building until he spotted someone he briefly inquired to the man's identity then lifted him into the air. It had gone far enough Spider-Man leaped form nearly forty feet above and landed a mighty blow to his shoulder the brute barely budged but let go of his victim Spider-Man on the other hand slipped of and landed on the pavement in pain he just managed to not get stop and get to his feet "Spider-Man haven't you learned nothing can stop the Juggernaut. Being encased in that cement was very uncomfortable ill make sure to return the favor."

"Just like I remembered you Juggy your as cheery as ever" Spider-Man said as he dodged three blows the last collapsing a quarter of building. Spider-Man grabbed the debris with his wedding and hurled it at his foe. Juggernaut's force-field activated and blocked it "Any more bright ideas" he said as Spiderman slid underneath him his webbing his legs.

"Yes you and the Hulk could star in a reality show "Brute Force" no wait how about "The Real Housesmashers of North America."

Spider-Man jumped over a tree that the Juggernaut swung at him then ran across it before hopping onto his back then tried unsuccessfully to rip his helmet off. His opponent finally managed to grab him and toss him near the distance of a football field before he crashed through the fifth story window of one of the evacuated buildings on the block. He hardly had time to recover before Juggernaut plowed through the foundations of the building.

The building collapsed and Spider-Man barely managed not to shield himself from most of the rubble. Satisfied Juggernaut started to walk away he would need to hide before the X-Men showed up and stopped him from getting rid of his target. After what had just happened he didn't expect Spider-Man to be stupid enough to continue but he was costume damage and bleeding slightly the hero managed to deliver him a webbed wedgie hurling him through the air and slamming him into the ground behind him. It was a lot more difficult then it looked.

Spider-Man said "You shouldn't leave so soon im just getting started." but his voice was a little harder and more irritated then his usual self.

Juggernaut got up and ran after the webhead Spider-Man started to swing away "I cant believe im saying this but where's the Rhino when you need him?"

At that moment two helicopters showed up and fifty or so men descended from the rooftops Spider-Man heard the familiar if megaphoned voice of Symkarian mercenary Silver Sable from one of the helicopters.

"Cain Marko you are wanted by the city of New York for acts of mutant terrorism and the destruction of twelve city blocks on your last rampage surrender now and well take you alive."

Juggernaut laughed "Nothing can stop the Juggernaut."

"You've made your choice. Take him!"

The Wild Pack immediately opened up with weapons fire which bounced off and the helicopters 60 caliber mini-guns didn't penetrate his force field. Spider-Man briefly reengaged the brute and said

"So Marko are you by any chance related to Flint Marko the Sandman?"

"Do you see any resemblance?"

"Well it's hard to tell when you hide that mug of yours underneath that helmet maybe you should make some new fashion ch…"

He was interrupted when he failed to dodge and the villain delivered an uppercut that launched him two hundred feet in the air. When the hero recovered with his webbing and returned to ground level the mercenaries started shooting at him. "hey what gives!" He found cover and stopped a damaged helicopter from crashing to the ground before launching himself into Sable's. She pulled a gun at him.

"Didn't your mother teach you it isn't polite to point guns at people's heads? Now why are your people firing at me im trying to stop the Juggernaut guy?"

"Im sorry Spider-Man but there's a bounty on your head again… it is significantly less then Cain's but it is still sizable."

"Who wants me dead this time?"

"Norman Osborn."

"That's not possible he's dead I saw him die!" noticing that his spider-sense hadn't gone off when Sable pulled her gun Peter said "hey you haven't pulled the trigger yet."

"Don't tempt me."

"My reflexes are forty times faster then the average person I could have you plastered to the wall before you could blink."

"So"

"So how about I help you get this guy before he creams the rest of your squad and you don't shoot me in the back while I do it."

Sable hesitated but then saw another building collapse near her men. She put her gun back in her holster and activated her communicator.

"Wild Pack Spider-Man is no longer a target… for the time being."

The helicopter descended and Spider-Man and Silver arrived at ground level Sable fired at the thing until she was out of magazines and then tossed several of her signature weapons three pronged darts called a Chai these barely stung the brute and Silver wised up and disengaged helping the Wild Pack form draw back forming a wider perimeter.

Spider-Man moved faster then he had in a long time not holding back at all he used all the moves he had tried on the Hulk on several occasions. Though neither managed to really harm the other Juggernaut lost his patience and resorted to a trick that nearly always renders a superhero impotent and useless he grabbed the nearest helpless civilian and used them as a hostage. Juggernaut walked away and started climbing a skyscraper that was under construction with his hostage. Though generally Spider-Man would leave him alone or else try to sneakily free the hostage this made Peter angry Cain had crossed the line.

He quickly met with Sable on a nearby rooftop and they formed a half baked plan. The mercenaries made use on an elevator to ascend the structure. Amused the Juggernaut took a few steps towards the elevator and was about to sever the cable when the remaining helicopters ascended and opened fire. With the enemy distracted Spider-Man was able to quickly grab the civilian and jump of the rooftop before he was caught after dropping her of he rushed back as quick as he could.

With the helicopters firing at him the Juggernaut merely kept his force-field running until they ran out of bullets he laughed and turned of his force-field which was when the mercenaries that had exited the elevator let fly a full salvo of weapons. Tire these weren't the usual ammunition, Spider-Man had suggested using something to slow him down and Sable had her men load there weapon with ultra-thin (ten molecules thick) tranq darts. These darts weren't loaded with sedative however but highly concentrated cone snail venom.

Spider-Man made it back to the roof and looked at the Juggernaut who had about two hundred needles sticking out of him. Looking at the mercenaries he said

"You guys went to far you could have killed him."

The mercenaries shrugged "The bounty is dead or alive."

The Juggernaut snapped most of the invisible needles of and said

"You think you could kill me with these nothing can stop the Juggernaut."

Though he was quite alive for someone with that much poison running through them the villain had slowed considerably enough for the mercenaries to engage him without getting completely creamed. This allowed Spider-Man to share a short chat with Sable who had jumped off the helicopter.

"What now she asked?"

"Well now that his is slowed we need to get his helmet off." any ideas"

"Well if you have any sonic weapons laying around we could use the resonant frequency of the metal to turn it to powder, the vibrations would probably hurt his ears a lot as well"

"I never realized you were such a nerd."

"I live to please."

Annoyed with his predicament Juggernaut shattered the roof and most of the mercenaries fell. Spider-Man tried to save as many as he could but he wasn't needed they were prepared with parachutes. Once on the ground Spider-Man and the Wild Pack kept the villain busy while a group put the sonic weapons in place. The tone was slightly irritating to Spider-Man and the others but it was agony for the Juggernaut who tried hard to keep standing up as his helmet cracked and slowly shattered. Peter and Sable quickly moved in. After ten or so smacks to the face Juggernaut was sufficiently incapacitated for about forty mercenaries to hold him down.

"You shouldn't have done this Cain said that man I was going to kill works for a company that's going to put a chemical in the water supply makes mutant mother's miscarriage at least the Nazi's had the decency to slaughter those who had already been born."

"Taken a bit aback Spider-Man said "well that is wow I see why you were mad but I couldn't let you endanger innocent lives trying to kill him."

The Wild Pack slowly moved Cain Marko to a large vehicle when it was lifted up into the air. Magneto descended to the ground and said

"I demand that Silver Sable International free Juggernaut he is an ambassador of Genosha here conducting Genoshan business, and I do not tolerate these acts of prejudice.

"Prejudice had nothing to do with it" Sable said "He is wanted by the city of New York for crimes when he was not in your employ."

"What do you have to say Spider-Man."

"I was here when it happened nice helmet by the way in Juggernaut's last rampage he tore up half the borough trying to kidnap an old lady."

"We are taking him into custody" Sable said "with breakouts being as frequent as they are im sure you wont have to wait long to have him back in your employ."

"That still leaves Mr. Turner unaddressed."

"We will report what he planned to do he will be in custody by tomorrow afternoon you have my word."

Magneto left without a word and a convoy of police cars arrived just in time to escort the armored vehicle to prison. The Wild Pack made a quick exit and Spider-Man left without a bullet in his backside. Before he made his way home Sable found him.

"Your not here to kill me are you because I just got these clothes dry cleaned and I really wouldn't want then to get any more of that bloodstain smell."

"No trust me your more valuable to me alive."

"What do you want?"

"However proficient we are the Wild Pack has found itself incapable of fulfilling some of our contracts recently. The people of Latveria have yet seen there leader handed to them as promised, our rep is slipping.

"And you want me to go mercenary.

"No… not just you iv assembled a team some familiar faces four of them in fact they've all signed contracts with Silver Sable International. How do you make your living by the way"

"I sell photos of myself to tabloids" Sable laughed "what it put me through college"

"So you see you do make your money off of you costumed antics and I thought you were a superhero. Just look it over" she handed him an envelope "if your interested meet me here at the address enclosed tomorrow morning.

Before Peter could even finish opening the envelope she was gone he sighed and returned to his home he had just been given an opportunity the question was what was the responsible thing to do.

**In the next chapter Spider-Man joins the team his allies are going to be Power Man, Iron Fist, Sandman and a heroine I was going to put a poll up so people can vote for either Kitty Pryde or Ms. Marvel**


End file.
